


Still a Pop's Girl

by jessequicksters



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Bisexual Veronica Lodge, But Mr Gekko is an abusive ass so ANYWAY, Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Gen or Pre-Slash, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Multi, OT3, Post 5x06, Pre-OT3, Save Veronica Lodge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:54:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29705043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessequicksters/pseuds/jessequicksters
Summary: Veronica walks into Pop's in the middle of the night, soaking wet. She finds Jughead and Tabitha, with milkshakes and warmth to spare.
Relationships: Jughead Jones/Veronica Lodge, Tabitha Tate/Jughead Jones, Veronica Lodge/Jughead Jones/Tabitha Tate, Veronica Lodge/Tabitha Tate
Comments: 2
Kudos: 37





	Still a Pop's Girl

Veronica walked in to Pop’s soaking wet. Her umbrella was broken. Her heels got stuck in a pothole. Everything was falling apart. She had been back in Riverdale for a week and life had already turned its pages to introduce a more sour, dour, chapter.

She saw Jughead leaning over the counter like a midnight sunflower, in easy conversation with Tabitha, who was laughing at a joke one of them had made. The two of them turned towards Veronica as the bell chimed.

“I know, I look like a wet dog,” she said.

Jughead stared wordlessly, with only a slight streak of worry in his dark brows. “You said it, not me.”

“Would you like a milkshake, or something warmer?” Tabitha offered.

Veronica squeezed the water from her hair once more, watching as the droplets fell onto the welcome mat, already pooling with rainwater.

“Just my standard double chocolate, please,” she said politely.

Tabitha smiled warmly. “You never miss a beat, Lodge.”

She appreciated her use of her name, she noted. Especially considering the recent events that occurred at motel Chadwick, she wanted to be as far removed from her Gekko self as possible.

She eventually settled into one of the booths, as Jughead sauntered over with a leather jacket in hand. He was in his waiter uniform, but he always kept his Serpent jacket nearby.

He handed it to Veronica, who suddenly felt small at the kind gesture. She watching Jughead’s tall frame hovering over her, blasted in neon lighting and a seasoned look of maturity she hadn’t had much time to get to know yet.

“Thank you,” she said, as she primly slipped her arms through the holes. It was big on her, but it felt snug.

Jughead sat in front of her, examining her face with that knowing look of his. “Want to talk about it?”

“Maybe some other night,” Veronica replied. “Why don’t you tell me about your new job? Being on the other side of the counter suits you.”

Jughead glanced down at his Pop's uniform and caught the smile on her face. He chuckled, nodding along as he folded his arms on the table.

“You know what they say about starving artists. Working at Pop’s definitely has its perks,” he said.

Veronica’s eyes drifted off to Tabitha, who was approaching them with three milkshakes.

“No one else is coming here in this weather,” she said, squeezing into the booth next to Jughead, who’s elbow bumps into hers as she shuffled over. “I say you deserve the night off.”

“Really?” Jughead said, eyes completely lost in hers. Oh, Veronica knew that look.

“Really,” Tabitha replied, pushing the glass of milkshake towards him. “You’ve been working hard, Jones. You deserve a night.”

Veronica fiddled with the straw in her milkshake. “Jughead, working hard?”

“In this establishment, under my management, Jughead doesn’t have much of a choice,” Tabitha replied. “He tells me you used to be the She-Wolf of Wall Street. You should know what it takes to keep men in line.”

Veronica blushed at the reference. She had always worn that nickname with pride, but something about the way she said it made her skin tingle. She couldn't put a finger on what it was about Tabitha that was so magnetic, but she recognized that spark in her. Maybe, in another life, they would’ve been working side-by-side in boardrooms in New York or Chicago.

She quickly realized that that wasn’t the life she wanted, at least not for herself. There was a reason they had both ended up here, in Riverdale, in Pop’s. She could only assume that Tabitha was also escaping the same.

“I used to be a lot of things,” Veronica admitted. “I’m trying to figure out who I am now.”

Both Jughead and Tabitha looked at each other, then at her.

Jughead slowly reached across the table for her hand. Veronica’s racing mind immediately stilled at his touch. Her initial reaction was to pull back, but instead she found herself turning her palm upwards as his fingers rested inside.

“I think,” he finally said, after what felt like eons of silence, “we all came back to Riverdale because in some way or another, we’re all unhappy with the people we’ve become.”

“Ever the optimist, Jughead,” Veronica said with a weak laugh. She noticed the way Tabitha had pressed up against him closer, as she rested her hand on his forearm, steady and comfortable.

“I’m serious. If I know anything about you, Veronica Lodge, it’s that you are going to keep acting like everything’s fine until you can’t anymore, and by then it would already be too late.”

She looked down. He wasn’t wrong. Jughead was never wrong about anything, or anyone. She took another sip of her milkshake to clear her mind again, but suddenly, it felt like a weight had been lifted from her and her mind was wide awake.

Jughead had said the words that she had always been afraid to say to herself. And for that, she was immensely grateful but more importantly, she was touched.

Never one to linger in despair, though, Veronica turned the conversation towards Tabitha. “I’d really like to know what brought you back to Riverdale, Tabitha. City girls like us tend to come with a sob story, although perhaps you walked a wiser path than I did?”

Tabitha, who already had a certain type of confidence, or rather, self-assuredness, about her, simply answered with a, “I did. Of course, there were some missteps, but none so dire that led me running away from my beloved into a diner in the middle of the night.”

The truth was out there. Veronica Lodge was a miserable woman at the ripe age of twenty-five. Everyone from the borders of Riverdale to New York knew it—and the only solace she had was that she was in the company of two very good, very kind friends.

Who may or may not have something between them, Veronica wasn’t exactly sure. She wouldn’t want to impose on anyone. Suddenly, she was struck by a flash of self-consciousness about her place here.

But just as she considered leaving, Tabitha shimmied out of the booth and dragged Jughead along. “Come on, we have the Whyte Wyrm all to ourselves tonight. I’ve never had the courage to sing in front of Toni’s crew, but maybe embarrassing myself in front of you two would lighten up the mood for the evening.”

Jughead laughed, an arm snaking around her hips, “Oh, this is going to be worth it. Come on Vee, you gotta show us how it’s really done. We can’t just have terrible karaoke all night long.”

She considered the offer, still hesitant. Oh, to be happy and in love. A part of her wished that she could be a part of that, without realizing that she was already here, with them, open and as inviting as ever. What more could possibly she ask for?

Jughead pulled her out of the booth with both hands as she landed straight into his chest by the force of it. She looked up at his face, gently gazing back at hers as if he had also just found something he never knew he was looking for.

“I’ll let you lead,” Veronica said, chest fluttering, as she nodded at him, then her. She knew she was safe, tonight, with them.

They smiled, hands brushing her hair away from her face as they led her downstairs to a night of close-quarter comforts, the freedom to be whoever they wanted to be in this small town, and an escape from all the misery in the world.


End file.
